Suspended flare pot holder



0a, 28, 1969 I L, SAYLE AL 3,475,109

SUSPENDED FLARE POT HOLDER Filed March 8, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l Louis F. Say/es Louise P. Say/es INVENTORS Oct. 28,1969 s s ET AL 3,475,109

SUSPENDED FLARE POT HOLDER Filed March 8, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Louis E Say/es Louise R Say/es INVENTGKS United States Patent 3,475,109 SUSPENDED FLARE POT HOLDER Louis F. Sayles and Louise P. Sayles, both of 909 Robidoux, St. Joseph, Mo. 64501 Filed Mar. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 711,797 Int. Cl. F23d 3/02 US. Cl. 434-343 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A collapsible upright'stand including at least three upstanding and upwardly converging standards pivotally interconnected at their upper ends for swinging movement of the lower ends toward each other. The stand includes means whereby a plurality of flare pots may be suspended therefrom in a manner reducing the possibility of the flare pots being extinguished by snow and slush, rendering the flare pots more visible, and reducing the possibility of paper and other combustible debris blowing along the ground being ignited and causing fires. In addition, the flare pots are suspended from the stand in a manner discouraging vandals from stealing the flare pots and the lower ends of the standard portions of the stand include means whereby they may be spiked or nailed to an associated road surface.

The main object of this invention is to provide a flare pot holder of the collapsible type which may be readily stored in a compact condition and which will be operative to suspend flare pots at different elevations.

Another object of this invention is to provide a flare pot holder operative to suspend flare pots for slight swinging movement in pendulum fashion thereby further increasing their visibility.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a flare pot holder in accordance with the preceding objects operative to support flare pots in a manner discouraging vandals from stealing the flare pots.

Another object of this invention is to provide a flare pot holder including means whereby the holder itself may be nailed or spiked to an associated roadway.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a flare pot holder in accordance with the preceding objects and including means whereby warning flags may be removably supported therefrom in a manner discouraging vandals from stealing the warning flags.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a flare pot holder in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble-free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the flare pot holder in erected condition with a plurality of warning flags and flare pots supported therefrom;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the upper portion of the flare pot holder as seen from the left side of FIGURE 2 and with the warning flags removed therefrom;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional View taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 55 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 66 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded perspective view of one of the warning flag assemblies of the flare pot holder;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 88 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the flare pot holder in a collapsed position for compact storage.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the flare pot holder of the instant invention. The holder 10 includes a collapsible upright stand referred to in general by the reference numeral 12 and including three upstanding and upwardly converging standards 14, 16 and 18.

The upper end of the standard 14 includes an angulated upper end portion 20 having a pair of sleeve members 22 secured to its opposite side surfaces in any convenient manner such as by welding 24 and the standard 14 has a sleeve 26 secured through an upper portion thereof immediately beneath the upper end portion 20. The opposite ends of the sleeve 26 are beveled as at 28 so as to be upwardly convergent and a pivot bolt 30 is secured through the sleeve 26. The upper ends of the standards 16 and 18 include apertures 32 which are slightly larger in diameter than and receive the opposite end portions of the pivot bolt 30 therethrough. Accordingly, the upper ends of the standards 16 and 18 are pivotally secured to the upper end of the standard 14. Also, the upper end of the standard 14 has a horizontally disposed and transversely extending abutment bar 34 secured thereto, see FIGURE 3, with which the portions of the standards 16 and 18 disposed immediately below the apertures 32 are engageable to limit swinging movement of the lower ends of the standards 16 and 18 away from the lower end of the standard 14. Of course, inasmuch as the apertures 32 are somewhat larger in diameter than the pivot bolt 30, the standards 16 and 18 may be swung from positions disposed at right angles to the longitudinal centerline of the pivot bolt 30 as illustrated in FIGURE 9 of the drawings to positions with the lower ends of the standards 16 and 18 spread apart as illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. However, the standard 18 has a pivot bolt 36 secured thereto and one end of a bracing strap 38 is pivotally secured thereto. The bracing strap 38 includes a notch 40 on its free swinging end which is engageable with an upwardly opening notch 42 formed in an anchor flange 44 secured to the standard 16 at an elevation generally equal to the elevation of the pivot bolt 36. Accordingly, the bracing strap 38 may be engaged with the flange 44 to maintain the correct spacing between the lower ends of the standards 16 and 18 when the stand 12 is erected.

A pair of support arms 46 are pivotally supported at one pair of corresponding ends from the standards 14 and 16 by means of pivot fasteners 48 and the ends of the support arms 46 through which the pivot fasteners 48 extend also include transversely extending abutment lug portions 50 which are engageable with the standards 14 and 16 to limit downward swinging movement of the free ends of the support arms 46 to positions with the support arms 46 horizontally disposed. The outer ends of the support arms 46 are apertured as at 52 and the eye ends of a pair of snap hooks 54 are secured through the apertures 52. In addition, the upper link 56 of a link chain 58 is secured to the standard 14 below the sleeve 26 and the lower link 60 of the link chain 58 has the eye portion of a third snap hook 54 passed therethrough.

A plurality of flare pots generally referred to by the reference numeral 62 are provided and each has an inverted, externally threaded cup 64 secured over the wick portion 66 thereof as can best be seen from FIG- URE of the drawings. Further, each cup 64 includes sidewall portions 65 having circumferentially spaced openings formed therein and the bottom wall 68 of each cup 64 is apertured as at 70. A support fixture is provided for each cup and includes a threaded shank portion having an eye 72 on one end. Each shank portion is secured through the corresponding apertures 70 by means of a fastener 74. Each eye 72 includes a crossbar 76 whereby the associated flare pot 62 may be readily carried and each snap hook 54 is engaged with the corresponding eye 72. In this manner, the flare pots 62 are removably supported from the holder in a manner whereby the flare pots 62 will swing slightly in the wind. Also, since the cross rod or bar 76 of each flare pot 62 is disposed above the wick portion thereof, the bars 76 will be heated when the flare pots are burning and thus discourage vandals from stealing the flare pots 62. Additionally, the lower end of each standard has an inclined aperture 80 formed therethrough adjacent its lower terminal end by which a nail or spike 82 may be utilized to secure the standards 14, 16 and 18 to an associated roadway 84.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIG- URE 7 of the drawings, there may be seen a warning flag assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 86. Each warning flag assembly 86 includes a longitudinally split tube 88 externally threaded on one end as at 90 and having a collar 92 secured to its other end. A tubular extension 94 has one end secured to each of the collars 92 and the other end thereof is externally threaded as at 96. A removable and internally threaded cap 98 is provided for the externally threaded end of each extension 94 and a warning flag element 100 is provided for each assembly 86 and has a rod 102 passed through its base edge portion. The base edge portion and rod 102 of each warning flag element 100 is receivable in the corresponding split tube 88 with one end of the rod 102 received in the corresponding collar 92 and the other end of each rod 102 received in the second externally threaded cap 104 of each assembly 86 which is threadedly engageable with the externally threaded end 90 of the corresponding tube 88. Then, after the flat element 100 has been removably supported from the corresponding tube 88, the extension 94 may be inserted through the corresponding sleeve member 22 and the removable cap 98 may be threadedly engaged with the extension 94 so as to lock the warning flag assembly 86 to the support sleeve 22.

The caps 98 and 104 may have smooth cylindrical outer surface portions whereby they may be loosened, after initially being tightened, only by the use of a pipe wrench. Therefore, it will also be diflicult for vandals to steal the warning flag assemblies 86.

The foregoing is considered as illustrated only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes with readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described,

and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a flare pot including an upper wall portion and a wick having one end projecting upwardly through said upper wall portion, an inverted cup including an externally threaded open end and an end wall on the end thereof remote from said open end, said cup being removably threadedly engaged with said upper wall portion about said wick with the outwardly projecting exposed end of said wick loosely enclosed within said inverted cup, the side walls of said cup having a plurality of circumferentially spaced vent openings formed therein and the end wall of said cup having an aperture formed therethrough, an elongated upstanding member having its lower end secured through said aperture, the upper end of said elongated member including means adapted for attachment to one end of an elongated upstanding heat resistant tension member, a heat retentive transverse horizontal handle carried by said upper end and in good heat transfer relation with said cup and said openings, whereby said handle will be heated when said wick is burning.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the upper end of said elongated upstanding member disposed above said end wall includes an eye portion, said horizontal handle extending across and being secured to opposite side portions of said eye portion.

3. In combination, a flare pot including an upper wall portion and a wick having one end projecting upwardly through said upper wall portion, an inverted cup including an externally threaded open end and an end wall on the end thereof remote from said open end, said cup being removably threadedly engaged with said upper wall portion about said wick with the outwardly projecting exposed end of said wick loosely enclosed within said inverted cup, the side walls of said cup having a plurality of circumferentially spaced vent openings formed therein and the end wall of said cup having an aperture formed therethrough, an elongated upstanding member having its lower end secured through said aperture, the upper end of said elongated member including means adapted for attachment to one end of an elongated upstanding heat resistant tension member, an upstanding elongated flexible tension member of heat resistant material, the lower end of said tension member being secured to said upper end, and an upright support stand having an effective height greater than the effective length of said tension member plus the height of said flare pot, the upper end of said tension member being secured to an upper portion of said stand for suspension of said flare pot from said stand in pendulum fashion with the flare pot elevated above the lower end of said stand.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said stand includes three upright standards, one of said standards having pivot means at its upper end and the other of said standards having their upper ends pivotally secured to the upper end of said one standard by means of said pivot means with the upper ends of said other standards disposed on remote sides of said one standard, the upper end of said tension member being secured to said one standard below said pivot means.

5. The combination of claim 3 wherein said standards each include a support arm having one end pivotally supported therefrom intermediate its upper and lower ends for swinging of the arm between a position generally paralleling the corresponding standard and a generally horizontal position with the other end thereof projecting outwardly from the corresponding standard, a pair of additional flare pots, means carried by the other end of each of said support arms supporting one of said additional flare pots therefrom, said arms projecting outwardly fro-m said stand in generally opposite directions.

6. The combination of claim 3 wherein said stand includes three standards, one of said standards includes pivot means at its upper end and the other of said standards have their upper ends pivotally secured to the upper end of said one standard by means of said pivot means with the upper ends of said other standards disposed on remote sides of said one standard, said pivot means comprising a pivot shaft secured through the upper end of said one standard, the upper ends of said other standards being supported from the opposite end portions of said pivot shaft.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said one standard includes fixed abutment means engageable by the References Cited upper ends of said other standards for limiting swinging movement of the lower ends of said other standards away UNITED STATES PATENTS from the lower end of said one standard. 257 357 5 1 32 Forsaith et 1 431 343 8. The lcombination 0f claimth4 \llllllel'ein Said 5 C r e means inc udes means securin e 0 er of said stan ards secured to said one stand ard for limited movement 2120'255 6/1938 Mccloskey 431 344X of the lower ends of the other standards outwardly from 2,441,242 5/ 1948 fi S X opposite sides of the lower end of said one standard.

9. The combination of claim 8 including means carried 10 CHARLES J. MYHRE, Primary Examiner by a first of said other standards and releasably engageable with the second of said other standards operative to US, Cl. X,R maintain the latter in relative positions with their lower ends spaced apart a predetermined distance, 

